Le Jour du Souvenir

Remembrance Day was instituted to commemorate the end of the First World War on the 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month in 1918.

I was at a ceremony in the Rotonda of Tabaret Hall at the University of Ottawa on Laurier street. The event was presided by our former Governor General and Commander in Chief, the Right Honourable Mikaëlle Jean.  The University Archivist had arranged an exhibit and I noticed two new plaques on the wall with the names of all the University Students who being over 18 years of age had volunteered to go to war. There were more than 1000 names, I was amazed looking at all those names, imagine 98 years ago all these young people stepping forward to go to war. At a time when people did not travel much if at all, to go to Europe by transport ship on often rough seas, knowing that you might die and never see your loved ones again. But they were motivated and thought enough of their country Canada or the Empire or God knows what, to simply go, to serve. What made me think was the fact that today in 2012 the University has about 60,000 students back in 1918 the University had less than 5,000 students, so a large proportion of them went to war.

The University had a remembrance ceremony every year until 1978. I was attending Ottawa U. then and I remember that a group of student was against such ceremony to remember our war dead. The reason being at the time that such ceremonies simply glorified war, those who served where either naive fools or part of some kind of Capitalist conspiracy. So the University President at the time an elderly priest who did not want any trouble simply caved in and the ceremony of remembrance was done away with. It was only in 1998 that it was re-instated. I remember encountering back in the 1970's and 1980's such anti-war sentiment, a lot of it had to do with the end of the Vietnam War in Asia and many people had arguments that were half-baked but were considered nonetheless by society in general. There was a real confusion on the past and the present and many who voiced opposition came from comfortable backgrounds and had never wanted for nothing in their lives. They could judge others actions without ever having met them.

Today in Canada more and more people participate in commemoration ceremony, there is a better understanding of what sacrifice means and what these men and women did for us. Maybe this is because of Afghanistan and the 10 years Canadian troops served there for a war we do not fully understand. But we can certainly understand the First or Second World War and the Korean conflict.

We should never forget their sacrifice and remember to thank those who returned for what they did.

Nationalism or Patriotism

The two words do not mean the same thing, though they are often used interchangeably as if they meant the same thing. Often politician will use the word Patriotism or Patriot when they mean Nationalism or Nationalist. The definition of Patriotism is love of one's home, country, a happiness at being in one's country, of finding contentment, happiness. Nationalism is a very different thing, we know all too well where the excess of nationalism can lead, the XXth century has given us numerous example of it
with disastrous consequences. Nationalism is define as putting one's Nation above all others, exalting its virtues and focusing on a national consciousness.

This 1 July 2012 the word Patriotism has been used in many a speech by politicians and our Prime Minister, I came away thinking that he meant Nationalism instead of Patriotism. This year in Canada we celebrate the anniversary of the War of 1812, I say we in a generic manner, this war or was it a civil war or a war of territorial expansion or aggression by the USA or simply political foolishness on the part of the Republicans and President Madison, depends on your point of view. Our current government sees it as a great war to celebrate, a defining moment says the Prime Minister, I am not so sure.  The Prime Minister made his usual address extolling the virtues of Canada over the USA in a rather jingoistic manner. We won this war, he said, the people came together with the help of the aboriginals to defeat the enemy, quickly adding but we are friends now. A very simplistic view and this is not what Canada Day our 1 July is about. No wonder so many felt uncomfortable with such pronouncement or indifferent to them. What does this war mean to anyone who does not live in southern Ontario or south of Montreal? Very little really.

Here is an historical account taken from journals of the time of what happened 145 years ago on Dominion Day 1 July 1867 in Ottawa and around Canada which in those days was composed of the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New-Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
At midnight, bonfires blazed and cathedral bells chimed. At dawn, artillery salutes thundered. All day long and into the evening, Canadians gathered into the streets, parks and public squares of the new nation. Confederation was a bold innovation. Former colonials were peacefully taking up their right to govern themselves. The new Nation would have a Parliamentary democracy on the British model, its legislature elected by one of the widest franchise the world had seen. The Constitution of 1867 was the first ever made in Canada for Canadians, a plan not suggested by others or imposed on us.

By 1867, the war of 1812 was a distant memory, the USA was emerging from the aftermath of a bloody Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The immediate concern of our first Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald was to make Canada a prosperous nation against difficult odds and to establish Canada as a different nation then the USA.

Unfortunately this week with the celebration of the Centennial of the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, again political speeches turn it into the celebration of the greatest nation on earth a theme chosen by our Prime Minister in his speech.
This type of phraseology belongs to another age and to others, it is not a Canadian sentiment.
But it appears that nationalistic ideology is currently the driving theme of the current government.

I chose to be a patriot and love my country and pursue its interest as our national anthem says, O Canada terre de nos aieux, (O Canada land of our forefathers). I leave the ideology of nationalism to others.